DR Congo: 88 Young People Ready To Launch Income-Generating Activities After Training In Various Vocational Skills By World Vision

By Didier Nagifi, Communications Officer

The town of Gemena, in the province of South-Ubangi, was the venue for the official handover ceremony for exit kits for the economic reintegration of 88 young teenagers, supervised by the Social Affairs Division of South-Ubangi with the technical and financial support of World Vision through the LEDIA programme and its Youth Ready model project.  The ceremony was attended by provincial authorities, community members and World Vision staff. This initiative aims to equip young people with the skills and tools they need for economic reintegration, thereby contributing to the development of their communities.

‘This is an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to offering young people a new chance, a fresh start to rebuild their lives and aspire to a better future. We want to thank World Vision and all the national and international partners who have contributed to the success of this initiative. The kits that will be handed out symbolise a new opportunity. The children here have been through unimaginable hardship. Thanks to our partners, the government will continue to work with you to ensure that this support is sustainable and enables the beneficiaries to reintegrate into the economic and social fabric of our province’, said Professor Jean René Galekwa, Vice-Governor, speaking of the importance of this event for the province.

For Christian Lasha, Manager of the Gemena cluster, this project has enabled unemployed young people to find employment. From now on, these young people can hope to see their lives transformed thanks to the skills they have acquired: 

‘Today, we saw young people learning life skills and receiving economic integration kits. They are now equipped and able to take charge of their own lives. At the outset, we had a group of young people who were lost, living in precarious conditions, but thanks to this initiative, we are seeing a group of young people heading for a better future. We will support them until they reach a level of autonomy, he said.

The testimonials from young people also show the impact of this initiative. Mireille, aged 19, described how she could train as a beautician. ‘My parents couldn't afford to send me to school, and I had spent years at home doing nothing. Thanks to the Social Affairs Division and World Vision's support, I could participate in the Viability Journey. After that, I chose the beauty course. I learned a lot, and now I have a job that makes me feel good and will help me for the rest of my life,’ she says. 

Jolie, 18, a young orphan, also shared her story.

 ‘When my parents died, I stopped studying medical technology at the age of 16. It was a very difficult time for me, and I didn't know how to return to school. Thanks to World Vision, I had the chance to continue my training and I got my diploma in medical technology with 59%. Now I'm looking for a job so that I can fulfill my dream of studying at university and one day become a support for other children in difficulty’, she explains.

This ceremony marks a significant milestone in the transformation of young people in South Ubangi thanks to the commitment of World Vision and its partners, paving the way for a better future. The training covered several sectors. A total of 56 young people were trained in cutting and sewing, 10 in painting, 10 in carpentry, 5 in mechanics, and 7 in beauty care. All the finalists received an exit kit, which they will use to start their lucrative activities.